Soyen Shaku

Soyen Shaku
釈 宗演
Title	Zen Master
Personal
Born	January 10, 1860 Fukui  Japan
Died	October 29, 1919 (1919-10-30) (aged 59) Kamakura, Japan
Religion	Zen Buddhism
Nationality	Japanese
School	Rinzai
Senior posting
Predecessor	Imakita Kōsen
Successor	Tetsuo Sōkatsu

Soyen Shaku (釈 宗演, January 10, 1860 – October 29, 1919; written in modern Japanese Shaku Sōen or Kōgaku Shaku Sōen) was the first Zen Buddhist master to teach in the United States. He was a rōshi of the Rinzai school and was abbot of both Kenchō-ji and Engaku-ji temples in Kamakura, Japan. Soyen was a disciple of Imakita Kosen.